In Search of the Novel:Teacher-TalkNovel

Teacher-TalkNovel is the email discussion list for In
Search of the Novel. Participants of the workshop series, content
guides, and Channel staff will participate in this discussion list
throughout the initial broadcast of the workshop series.

Use this space as an area to share and pose questions
about the workshop series, get to know your colleagues, as well as
ask questions about technical and access issues.

In my unit on The Odyssey, I found that it isn't always necessary to stick
with the text in order to cover the same material. We use our textbook on
some days, on others I have copies of plays done in Scope or Literary
Cavalcade magazine (which can generally be done in one class period) which
are on the same story. I also found two poems about the Odyssey, so I
supplement with those. Finally, we watch the movie to wrap everything
together. In this fashion, you can use a variety of genres about the same
story or topic, get it done in a few weeks, and keep students interested. I
would highly recommend Scope or Literary Cavalcade, especially if you can
get copies of back issues on the stories that you want to teach. They do a
nice job of condensing the story down and putting it into play form which
can be handled in one or two periods.

Lynn Aprill

> ----------
> From: Heather R. Norris> Reply To: Teacher-TalkNovel@learner.org> Sent: Sunday, October 7, 2001 6:57 PM> To: Teacher-TalkNovel@learner.org> Subject: [Teacher-TalkNovel] Units>> I am not sure if this will show, my other listings have not. In my> Internship my supervising teacher and I worked on a unit together about> the Revoluvtion. I think when I started on mine for my English class at> UCF it was too much. It was partical in that it covered what it needed to> cover, but it lacked a lot. I was the typical boring reading assignments> studetns are familar with. I aimed too high when I wanted to teach a> novel and a play in four or five weeks and have a lot of creativity. I> realized this when I watched my classes in Internship take three weeks for> The Crucible. They didn't just read the play, they had a variety, and> they had other activities to occpy them as well. I think I realized that> we do need a "center piece." Has anyone else figured out how to cover> everything they "need" to cover and still have been able to have the> extras as well? Or do we just need to realize that we always want to do> more than what time allows?> Heather>